


The Present Is A Gift

by DreaDuQuesne



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Light fluff at the end, they're married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-13 22:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16901421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreaDuQuesne/pseuds/DreaDuQuesne
Summary: After being held hostage by Lex, Lena has trouble sleeping and is afraid to tell Kara why. Kara tries her best to be patient.





	The Present Is A Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Silent_Specter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_Specter/gifts).



> I highly recommend listening to "Like You'll Never See Me Again" by Alicia Keys.
> 
> For requests and prompts and additional commentary, feel free to message me on Tumblr: Dreaduquesne

Darkness.

That’s all Lena saw as she struggled against the restraints that tied her to what felt like an operating table. She had no idea where she was or how she even got there but she desperately wanted to beat the shit out of the asshole that did this to her. Ever since she was a kid, she hated the dark. That’s when she saw visions of the day her mother died and her younger self doing nothing to help her.

Lena felt tears welling in her eyes but blinked them away. _Now is not the time to have a mental breakdown_ , she thought.

She quickly shut her eyes as a piercing light shined down on her. After a minute she squinted, looking around for anything to tell her where she was. “Supergirl,” she whispered.

”You’ve awaken,” a sinister voice rang out. Lena immediately recognized the voice as the man it belonged to step forward into the light.

“Lex.”

“The “Girl of Steel” won’t find you here, Lena.” Lex stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Lena’s arm. “Who knew kryptonite could be so lethal?”

“You’re lying.”

Lex sighed deeply. He picked up a tablet and showed Lena the various articles confirming the news.

Lena could feel the tears fill her eyes again. “No. No, I don’t believe you.”

“This isn’t fake news, Lena.” Lex sat the tablet down. “Supergirl and Superman are gone which means the power of the Earth is back where it belongs: With us.”

Lena struggled against the restraints. “You son of a bitch!”

Lex picked up a syringe full of what Lena assumed was a paralytic. He plucked it twice and released a few drops of liquid before turning to Lena. “Supergirl has had a lasting impression on you so much so that you expected her to save you.” Lex shook his head in disappointment as he examined Lena.

“I can’t have that,” he began, sticking the needle into Lena’s arm. “Which is why I have to erase your memory of her and if I succeed,” he watched as Lena tried her best to free herself of the restraints until she stopped moving. He then placed black-lensed VR glasses onto Lena’s face. He picked up a remote that had a red button on it.

“I’m… gonna… kill you,” Lena slurred.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Lena but I do have to break you and then I will save you.” Lex pressed the red button.

Images of a bloody Supergirl flashed on the lenses. Lena tried to keep her eyes closed but her body rejected the notion and forced her to watch the bloody images of her wife.

“Lena,” Supergirl’s voice called to her. “Lena, wake up.”

But she couldn’t. This was her new reality.

“Lena, wake up!”

Lena shot up, feeling like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs as she gasped for air.

“Lena, just breathe. I’m right here.”

Kara? No. Kara was dead because Supergirl was dead but Lena heard her voice anyway.

“I got you,” Kara said as she held Lena in her arms. “Just breathe. I’m right here.”

Lena’s breathing slowed down but the tears in her eyes fell like a waterfall. Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw were those images of Supergirl. Of Kara. There was even a time when she was afraid to blink. Lex really did a number on her.

“Lena,” Kara said quietly.

“I’m okay, Kara,” Lena responded. She glanced at the clock. It was 8:17AM. She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. She touched the bags under her eyes and sighed. It had been three months since Kara found her. She was with Lex for two weeks and he did exactly what he said he would do. He broke her.

Kara walked up and stood behind Lena. “Can I?” Lena smiled and nodded. They had been married for a year and it still made her smile when Kara asked permission for even the simplest of touches.

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena, holding the raven-haired beauty close to her. “Maybe you should stay home,” she suggested.

“I just need some fresh air. Besides, Lex is in prison where he belongs and I don’t really like the idea of being a prisoner in my own home.”

“Lena,” Kara said as she slowly turned Lena around to face her. “I know you’ve had a rough couple of months adjusting but,” she trailed off. Lena searched her bright blue eyes, knowing exactly what Kara was going to ask her.

“I promise I’ll tell you.” Lena took a deep breath, willing herself to keep her emotions in check. “I just can’t right now.”

“Okay.” Kara placed a light kiss on Lena’s forehead and pulled her in for a tight, comforting hug. “I love you.”

A single tear escaped from Lena’s eye. “I know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kara sat at the roundtable inside the DEO. She was deep in thought while Alex stood next to her.

“Earth to Supergirl,” Alex said.

“Hey, Alex.”

Alex squinted at her younger sister, knowing something was wrong. “Is it Lena?”

“Yeah.”

“How is she?”

Kara shrugged. “Okay, I guess. It’s not like I can truly know considering she won’t talk to me.”

Alex pulled up a chair and sat next to Kara. “Well, we know Lex tried to erase her memory of you.”

“But she remembers me so that can’t be it.” Kara took a deep breath. She was frustrated with herself for not being there. For not protecting her wife when she needed her most. “I feel like I failed her.”

“You didn’t, Kara,” Alex said, putting a reassuring hand on Kara’s back. “And don’t think for one second you did.”

“Something else happened that’s giving her these terrible nightmares and I can’t help her because she won’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“Just give her time.”

“I’m trying, Alex. I really am.”

Alex pulled Kara in, resting the blonde’s head on her shoulders. “I know.”

“Supergirl.” Brainy walked up to the duo, a plate of sweet potato pie in his hand. “I am sorry for interrupting this obviously needed session of sisterly bonding but there’s been a robbery at National City Bank.”

“Again?” Alex let out an exasperated sigh. “They never learn.”

“I’m on it,” Kara said. She got up and flew out the window.

Alex turned to Brainy. She noticed a bit of whipped cream on his nose.

Brainy looked around the room and then back to Alex. “Do I have something on my face?”

Alex shook her head. “Nah, you’re good.” She patted him on the back and walked away, leaving a perplexed Brainy standing at the roundtable with his pie in hand. He shrugged and went on about his day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lena walked down the hallway of LCorp. She hadn’t planned on going there but she missed work and the people she worked with. She knocked on the door to Sam’s office.

“Come in,” Sam yelled.

Lena stepped into the office.

“Lena, hey… What are you doing here?” She stood up as Lena made her way behind the desk.

“You could at least pretend to be happy to see me, Sam.” 

Sam wrapped her arms around Lena. “I am, I just didn’t expect you to be here. How are you?” She sat down on the edge of the desk.

“I’m fine.”

Sam tilted her head. “You’re lying.”

Lena laughed nervously. “I’m not.”

“You’ve been through hell and back, Lena. It’s okay to not be fine.”

Lena sighed. She sat next to Sam. “I’m still having nightmares.”

“You should talk to someone.”

“I’m-“

Sam held a finger up to Lena. “Don’t be a smartass and say you’re talking to me. I’m serious Lena.”

“I’m not gonna go to a therapist just so they can tell me everything I already know. I may be rich but I still prefer to use my money wisely.”

Sam chuckled. “Then maybe tell Kara the truth, assuming you haven’t already.”

“I can’t, Sam.” Lena fiddled with the diamond ring on her left index finger. “I can barely look at her without seeing those images of her lifeless, bloody body. We haven’t even had sex since I’ve been back.”

“That’s-I didn’t need to know the last part but you have to talk to her. Pushing her away won’t do either of you any good. Look at it from her perspective. She saves lives and protects people. Can you imagine the guilt she must feel for not being able to protect _you_? Not knowing what’s causing your nightmares will only make her guilt worst and I know it’s hard for you, Lena. Trust me, I do. But you need each other right now.”

Lena wiped away the betraying tears. “I have to go.” She stood up and headed toward the exit.

“Lena, wait. I didn’t mean to-“

Lena stopped in her tracks and turned to her friend. “No, Sam. You’re right. I just-I just need to go.”

Sam nodded. “I’ll see you.”

“Yeah.”

As Lena left the LCorp building, her phone rung. It was Brainy.

“Lena, It’s Kara. She’s been hit with a kryptonite bullet. She’s…” was all Lena allowed herself to hear. Thanks to Lex, she knew what it was like to lose her wife over and over again. She couldn’t bare it if she truly lost Kara for good. She sat in her car and all she could do was cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lena rushed into the DEO. She made a beeline for Brainy, not caring about the falling tears. “Where is she?” She said, her voice cracking in the process.

“Uh-She’s in the sun room,” Brainy answered.

“Take me to her. Please.”

“Follow me,” Brainy said, leading the way to Kara.

When they reached the sun room, Kara sat up on the bed. The sun lamps were off and she was laughing at a terrible joke Alex told her.

Lena let out a breath of relief at the sight of her wife’s bright smile. “Kara.”

Kara slid odd the operating table, smiling from ear to ear. “Lena.”

Lena ran over to Kara and held onto her as tight as her muscles would allow. Kara returned the hug, nuzzling her face in the crook of Lena’s neck.

“I’ll let you two have a moment,” Alex said. She walked towards the exit. She stopped and watched Brainy who watched the moment before him with a wide smile on his face.

“Brainy,” Alex whispered to him.

“Hmm?” He locked eyes with Alex. After a few seconds, he looked at Kara and Lena. “Oh. They need a moment. Alone. I got the hint.” Alex grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Kara stepped back, holding Lena’s face in her hands. She looked deep into teary, green eyes. “It was just a graze. It hurt a lot but I’m okay.”

Lena tried to look away but Kara placed a gentle finger under her chin, begging Lena to look at her. Lena complied. “When Lex held me hostage, he told me you died but I didn’t believe him at first.” She could see the pained look on Kara’s face. “Then he showed me these articles and put these glasses on me and forced me to watch these images and simulations of Supergirl dying over and over and over again. That's all I see when I close my eyes and try to go to sleep."

Tears began streaming down Kara’s cheeks.

“He said he’d break me and he did. I lost you so many times that I allowed myself to become weak.” She put her head down, ashamed at what she was about to say. “I begged him to erase any memories I had of you because that was easier than losing you.”

“You didn’t lose me Lena. I’m right here and Lex can’t hurt you anymore.”

“But people can hurt you. They _have_ hurt you.” Lena let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She knew how much Supergirl meant to the world but Kara meant the world to her. “In the darkness, you are my light, Kara, and I don’t know what I’d do or what I’d become if I lost you.”

“You have me right now.” Kara craned her neck and kissed Lena softly on the lips. She couldn’t promise Lena that she’d live forever and she couldn’t promise Lena that the darkness would never touch her but she could promise her to live in the moment of all their moments.

Kara broke the kiss. "If those terrible images are all you see then how about I take a bunch of really cute selfies and send them to you."

Lena couldn't help but smile. Her wife did always know how to make her feel at ease and she felt guilty for keeping her in the dark for so long.

"It's a start."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays!!!
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed the fic and don't forget to leave comments!!!!


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